This also applies in particular to machines that are subject to mechanical or electrical loads, in particular those that are subject to vibrations, such as for example motors, generators and gear mechanisms.
Particularly when operating rotating machines, the occurrence of vibrations can scarcely be avoided. On the other hand, the detection of vibrations occurring allows many analyses to be carried out, for example of imbalances or bearing states.
Frequency measurements can therefore be used both for obtaining findings on the state of the bearings and for predicting future necessary maintenance and renewal work.
In order to monitor such machines, there are known monitoring devices for vibration analysis, which pick up corresponding combined acoustic or mechanical analog signals from machines and carry out a frequency analysis in the sense of a Fourier transformation or fast Fourier transformation in order to establish how strongly individual frequencies or frequency ranges are represented in the spectrum. The evaluation of the signal strengths of individual frequency ranges allows findings about the machine to be obtained, in particular by comparison with reference values.
Such vibration monitoring systems therefore have one or more inputs for analog signals, which are subjected to a frequency analysis.
Moreover, such monitoring units may also have inputs for other detected variables, but this is often not the case or there are only a small number of such inputs.
On the other hand, as far as assemblies are concerned, in particular assemblies that are subject to vibrations, there are a multitude of parameters that can be monitored apart from or in addition to vibrations, such as for example temperatures or the state of a cooling fluid or an oil.
In the case of the analysis of an oil, particle counting devices, which register various types of particles and detect their frequency or density in the oil/cooling fluid, may be provided for example.
The frequency of specific types of particle allows findings to be obtained as to the state of the oil/cooling fluid or the lubricated components (for example gear wheels, rolling hearings).
Such sensor devices with counting devices for the types/sizes of particles often present the corresponding measured values in digital form, for example at a serial interface, the transmission taking place by way of data packets or vector-like data structures. A data vector may, for example, contain at least two different scalar values, for example different particle concentrations.
The processing of such values with a vibration monitoring device is often difficult.
The present invention is therefore based on the object of detecting such measured values and passing them on or processing them further in a way that is as simple as possible. It should at the same time be taken into consideration that frequency monitoring devices often do not have suitable signal inputs for such sensor devices.